General Charles Bird, U.S.A., President of the Delaware Branch, writes:
“The Delaware Branch of the American National Red Cross has effected a complete organization with a strong membership committee and a sub-committee to act with the Executive Committee in arranging for the enrollment of surgeons, physicians and trained nurses to be ready to respond to a call for any emergency. The work of these committees is hampered somewhat on account of a lack of public interest, growing out of the fact that there does not seem to be any active work for the Red Cross at present. Efforts are being made to increase the interest on the ground of being prepared for the emergency when it comes. The subdivisions in the lower part of the State are well organized and ready to work when calls are made upon them.”
The District of Columbia Branch is preparing to hold a mass meeting on March 30th at the Belasco Theatre in Washington, at which Secretary of War Taft and several other prominent speakers will deliver addresses on the subject of the Red Cross. It is also expected that two Army Surgeons who were present with the Russian and Japanese Armies in Manchuria will speak of what they saw of Red Cross work during the late war in the Far East.
Subdivisions of the Illinois Branch have recently been organized at Danville, Aurora and Rock Island, with a membership of over one hundred at Danville. Since the publication of the Annual Report of the Red Cross, Illinois has reported the enrollment of a number of doctors and nurses.
The Secretary of the Maine Branch reports that that Society is “slowly but surely improving and getting ready to do good work.” Earnest efforts are being made to increase the membership.
The Maryland Branch, like the District of Columbia Branch, contemplates holding a mass meeting on the 5th of April. These meetings are expected to arouse much interest and assist considerably in enlarging the membership.
The Massachusetts Branch “is too busily engaged with the famine fund to write much for the Bulletin.” The Bulletin is glad of this opportunity to congratulate the Massachusetts Branch upon its successful efforts in behalf of the Japanese famine sufferers. Massachusetts ranks first among the Branch Societies in amount contributed for this fund.
The New York State Branch has appointed Mr. William Chauncy Langdon, Secretary of the Executive Committee, and Mr. Langdon is actively engaged in organizing subdivisions throughout the State. Subdivisions have already been formed in Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Brooklyn, in Oneida and Westchester Counties, and in Islip Township of Long Island. The Oneida County Subdivision has the largest membership, 155, 12 of whom are life members. The total membership in New York State is 790.
The Cleveland Subdivision of the Ohio Branch reports the enrollment of a number of doctors and nurses.
On March 14th “The Pennsylvania Branch of the American National Red Cross” was organized, with headquarters in Philadelphia. The following officers were elected: President, Talcott Williams; treasurer, Mrs. A. J. Cassatt; vice-presidents, Captain John S. Muckle, Miss Anne Thompson, Hon. H. Kirke Porter, of Pittsburg; Hon. Vance McCormick, of Harrisburg; Bishop Alexander Mackay-Smith and George H. Frazier; secretary, Joseph Allison Steinmetz.